Posts by Wendy S

About Wendy S

+Wendy S (also known as @mapsgirl) is a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog.Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy has been a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada since 2008.

What was in the box?

The Minecraft console is amazing! It has a slim design and can sit horizontally or vertically fitting well into any space.

The controllers are all Bluetooth enabled which means easy play from anywhere in the room. We were able to set up each controller to be connected to each of our Xbox profiles. Lauren chose the pink Minecraft Pig and Rachel‘s profile is connected to the Creeper. This allows each of us to automatically sign in when we connect our controller.

The girls’ profiles are part of our “Family“. Craig and I have administrative privileges and can control what the girls can do with their accounts. This helps keep them safe and minimizes unwanted downloads.

First up… Minecraft, of course!

It didn’t take long to download the Minecraft game and to get the girls signed in.

Family time is special

I love that Xbox has so many games that we can play as a family. Seeing the girls smile and hearing them laugh is great! They are having a great time trying to teach us how to play Minecraft. We love the multiplayer games like Monopoly and Scrabble.

I love that we are now part of the Xbox Canada family! We are going to have a lot of fun!

Disclaimer: We were not paid to attend the Xbox event and I was not required to write this post in exchange for receiving the Xbox. We are really enjoying gaming together as a family and I wanted people to know about it.

Have you been a good boy or girl this year?

Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree for me, Been an awful good girlSanta baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Enter the Blizzard Bucks giveaway to win $450 CAD via PayPal!

Santa honey, I want a yacht and really that’s not a lot, Been an angel all yearSanta baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Just in time for Christmas and holiday shopping! Whether you are trying to get all of the things on their wish lists or you want to treat yourself and buy that one thing that you’ve always wanted, this fun giveaway will help make that easier!

Santa baby, and fill my stocking with a duplex and checks, Sign your ‘x’ on the line
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa’s cheque will be made out for $450 CAD (not really a cheque…it will be paid via PayPal)

The giveaway is open worldwide, void where prohibited (like Quebec).

Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry down the chimney tonight

Terms and conditions: No purchase necessary. The Blizzard Bucks ends on December 4th, 2017 at 11:59pm EST. One (1) person will win $450 PayPal CAN Cash. Winners must be 18 years or older to win. Void where prohibited. Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget. All entries are verified. If winner’s entry cannot be verified, or information is not given for verification, the entry will be deemed invalid and a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be notified by email that they used for Rafflecopter. Winner has 48 hours to respond claiming prize or prize will be forfeit and a new winner will be chosen.

“Lauren, make sure you grab your booster out of my car so you have it when you go with Grandma and Grandpa!”

Lauren is used to taking her booster with her when she goes in someone else’s vehicle. She knows that it keeps her safe.

However, there is a new seat that is 10x smaller than the boosters that everyone is used to.

Yes, Lauren is 10 but she is only 4’8″ and doesn’t pass the 5 Step Test so she rides in a booster.

Example of improper belt fit:The lap belt is across her stomach, and the shoulder belt has a gap instead of sitting snuggly on her shoulder.

Proper Belt Fit

Boosters are required for kids to ensure that they fit in a vehicle seat belt that is designed for adults. The lap belt is to sit across the passengers hip bones and the shoulder belt needs to sit across the breast bone and collarbone. The belt needs to sit on the passenger’s strong skeletal structure, rather than the soft, fleshy parts (like your neck or stomach). Children aren’t ready to ride in a vehicle without a booster until they pass the 5 Step Test.

Booster to Go

Riding with other family or friends is always a concern for me. I need to know that she’ll be safe in their vehicles. The mifold is small enough that Lauren can tuck in her backpack when she heads out and she’ll be ready if she needs it.

Who can use the mifold?

The mifold states that it is for kids who are:

40-100lbs

40″ to 57″ (3’4″ to 4’9″)

at least age 4

(Please note that as a car seat technician, I need to remind parents that maturity is important. The instructions say that the child’s back needs to be against the vehicle seat back. This means that the child has to be mature enough to sit properly in a booster without wiggling, slouching or sleeping.)

Installing the mifold

The mifold comes with everything attached to it, ready to be used.

The shoulder adjuster has all the labels and CMVSS logo that is found on all car seats. And there is a nice slot to store the manual in; very important as the manual always needs to be with a car seat.

Before you begin, you must read the manual. It’s not very long and the photos are very helpful.

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy has been a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada since 2008. [Read More …]